The food aboard the MS Paul Gauguin certainly deserves its own post. I can't even begin to describe how overwhelmed I was with options! Okay, twist my arm. Here we go......
Breakfast: a meal I typically end up skipping during my routine at home, but on the cruise an opportunity to indulge in some of my favorite things. Made-to-order omelettes with every topping imaginable. Strong coffee - oh, how I love strong coffee! Bagels with lox and tomato and onion and capers. Fresh pastries. Fresh fruit. Fresh-squeezed juice. Did I mention fresh? The occasional mimosa (or every morning if you'd like - it's vacation!). What a way to start the day. Did I mention that you can order breakfast via room service? Just in case you wanted to sip coffee from your balcony...
My ideal breakfast (Jenna Fedyschyn)
Coffee & OJ room service? Sure! (Jenna Fedyschyn)
Breakfast strikes again! (Jenna Fedyschyn)
Lunches. Just when you thought you couldn't possibly be hungry again, it's another meal time! Each day brought a new theme for lunches - local Polynesian, American, Italian, Greek - each one somehow better than the day before. I'm telling you, there is something on this ship for every picky eater and dietary restriction.
Dinners. Just like breakfast & lunch, you can choose one of three restaurants on board for dinner. All three serve essentially the same thing for breakfast and lunch, but the menus vary for dinners. La Veranda and Le Grill, the smaller of the three, require reservations for dinner, but it's not difficult to find availability. I had the best steak of my life at Le Grill (sorry, no photo, must have scarfed that down quickly!). And I'll share some photos of our meals at La Veranda here (this is the most upscale of the three):
Our first dinner blew us away! (Jenna Fedyschyn) Our first dinner blew us away! (Jenna Fedyschyn) Our first dinner blew us away! (Jenna Fedyschyn) Our first dinner blew us away! (Jenna Fedyschyn)
The third dining option on board is called L'Etoile, the largest of the three and no reservations required. You can request a table for two if it's privacy you're looking for, or go for the larger shared tables to meet new friends. We had a blast meeting other guests on board and swapping stories of our days in paradise (our waiter Flo was quite the character!):
Our waiter Flo knows how to selfie right! (Jenna Fedyschyn) Dinner strikes again! (Jenna Fedyschyn)
Les Gauguines often surprised the dinner crowd with live music:
Surprise dinner performance from Les Gauguines (Jenna Fedyschyn)
And of course scattered throughout the day are tea times.....
This entire spread is just for afternoon tea! (Jenna Fedyschyn)
Creating a checklist was very beneficial and meeting objectives on certain dates helped as well (to keep my trip organized). The Adventure Travel personnel helped keep me on track which is why my trip was so successful. Communication from both travel agencies (AT/MT) was vital.
Iziah Carthens
1 day ago
This is an amazing company to work with. I generally do not use tour companies as I am more of an independent traveller so I was slightly reticent. They were fantastic from the start - 10/10 - from lining up a phone call to discuss requirements, then their ongoing communication in the lead up to the tour and during it (thank you, Franny and Phen). They also explored cost-effective options (eg group transfers). The tour was in Patagonia so Adventure Life organised a pickup from the El Calafate airport to the El Chalten accommodation, two day hikes with a private guide and then to the El Calafate accommodation. A tour coordinator came to the hotel to explain, using the maps, what was involved in each day tour and what should be expected, and patiently answered all questions. The tour guide Marcos was excellent - very professional, knowledgable, communicative and at all times felt very safe with his navigational skills (important in the Patagonian wilderness). On the second day I forgot to take hiking poles so Marcos kindly gave me his. I honestly wouldn't have changed a thing and would happily recommend and book through them again.
Petrina Sta
3 days ago
Adventure Life has been great throughout my planning process for our up and coming Galapagos cruise. Kevin Moore, in particular, was very helpful in assisting me in making choices and providing me with options. He was also very patient, as I worked through figuring out what I really wanted in this vacation.
Lucy Greenway
3 days ago
Adventure Life was a pleasure to work with. They helped us find different options for our charter and answered a lot of questions with patience and clarity.
Brooke Hopper
4 days ago
Excellent service, great hotels and well organized excursions with expert guides! Highly recommended!
